A Man After Her Own Heart
by Kasey22
Summary: Sequel to A Girl After His Own Heart. Logan and my OC. Sort of a continuation with a little backstory. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

A Man After Her Own Heart – Chapter One

Disclaimer:  I own nothing except Val and the story idea.  

A/N:  This is a sequel to my "A Girl After His Own Heart" and is the result of a few readers who asked for more.  So…here's more.  This picks up right where AGAHOH leaves off and is rated R for language.  No more sex…at least not yet.  You'll be warned if we head that way.  If anyone wants to archive this (not that I think anyone would want it, but just in case), please just ask.

~~

Val huffed along in silence, the only noise the crunch of snow under her boots as she hiked back to her small house.  She'd left Logan at the bar in town and she'd pushed the old truck into the ravine.  Now she was making her way home.  A thirty-mile hike in the dead of winter was something she should have rethought, she realized now, only three-quarters of the way there.  It was late afternoon and she knew that it would only get colder as the sun dropped below the horizon.

What she _should_ have done was make him follow her in the old Ford, then drive him into town and back home in _that_.  Stupid, she cursed herself.

Stopping for a moment to readjust her scarf, Val stretched her back and wished for warmer weather.  Then, being too practical for anything else, she shook her head and trudged onward.

Hating herself, Val finally, after almost an entire day of ignoring what she knew to be obvious, acknowledged that she wished she'd asked Logan to stay.  Even if she'd been rejected, at least she would have known.  Now, she'd always have to wonder.

"Shut up," she muttered to herself.  "He would have said no thanks.  Places to go, people to see."

Grimacing, she thought back to her very first boyfriend in college.  She'd been way too unsure of herself in high school to even hold a conversation with a guy, much less _date_ him.    

Anyway, it didn't matter anymore.  Men had become tertiary.  She didn't need them.  She didn't want them.  They were almost always trouble.  

Unbidden, she was reminded of the trouble in college.  Having to leave in the middle of her junior year because of the 'incident'.  Her parents had had the nerve to be embarrassed by her.  Red-hot anger flared up at the memory.  

She'd been barely twenty, drinking with a fake id and a bunch of friends, including this new boy she'd been seeing.  It was a small college town in a small suburban Midwestern town.  Nothing special.  But she'd had a few too many drinks and had stupidly gone outside with him, this guy she barely knew, had only just started seeing.  There'd been kissing and groping and when it went a little too far and she protested – after all, who wanted their first time to be up against a wall outside of a bar? – he'd gotten a little angry.

Well, angry wasn't the right word, she corrected herself.  _Indignant_ was the right word.  He'd actually had the gall to call her a cock-tease and then – everything else she could take but this…this! – he'd hit her.  Nothing huge, just a slap across the face, but…she sighed as she remembered her angry response.  He hadn't expected to be hit back.  And she hadn't pulled her punch. 

He ended up on the other side of the parking lot with a concussion, three broken ribs, a broken arm, and a sprained ankle.

Horrified with herself, Val had gone to make sure he was okay.  Someone called the police.  She was questioned.  Her parents were called.  She was expelled.     

Afterward, she'd gone home in disgrace and her parents had refused to speak of the incident. 

A few months passed, things calmed down and she'd begun dating a local boy.  Chuck Kemp was his name.  She thought back fondly of Chuck.  What a jackass.  He seemed to believe that God had put him on earth for the purpose of pleasing the ladies.

Wanting to please her parents, though, Val had dated him.  She'd been so intent on making everyone else happy, that she'd forgotten about making herself happy.  There was an engagement.  A party.  A happy couple.  And then she'd caught him fucking her worst enemy in their bed less than a week after they'd finished sending out the thank you cards.  

Val paused in the dwindling light to wonder if it would have been easier if he'd been fucking the cliché, her best friend.  She didn't think so.  Her worst enemy, Erin Roberts, had been making Val's life miserable since Kindergarten and had continued to do everything in her power to keep Val's life miserable up through high school.  Erin was everything Val wasn't.  Tall, blonde, thin, popular, and above all, _normal_.  

In the heat of the moment, Val had thrown caution to the wind.  She'd been keeping her strength a secret for most of her life, but in the two seconds it took her to recognize the people going at it in _her_ _bed_, she'd gone a little crazy.

Val threw her husband out the window.  Head first.  And then she threw the slut out the window.  If she remembered correctly, neither had had a moment to put on any clothes and they'd landed on the front lawn as naked as two people who'd just been caught fucking behind someone else's back could be.  The police were called.  Injuries were reported.  And her parents had asked Val to leave.  

Val was getting closer now and she was glad of it.  The light was fading and she wanted to be back at home before it was completely dark.  She'd been living in that little house since her parents had sent her away.  She couldn't believe it was almost five years ago.  Stuck in the middle of nowhere, they'd insisted that she just stay put.  She'd acquiesced, simply because it was the easiest way to keep them quiet, but she never intended on living here forever.  Montana in winter was a bitch.

And yet, here she was, five years later, living alone, lonely as hell, but afraid to rejoin the real world because of what might happen.  What if she couldn't control her anger and she hurt someone else?  A female Hulk is what she'd started thinking of herself as.  Shaking her head, Val noted that she was less than a mile away and was very thankful.  It was too damn cold out to be running around like this.  

Val's parents had found the little house, rented it for her and had asked that she never to return.  That hurt a little.  She couldn't deny it.  Their request that she never come back had made her feel at a loss.  Her family had officially rejected her.  The divorce papers had arrived less than two months later, officially severing the one remaining tie she'd had to her hometown.  In that moment she'd decided to shed her old skin.  She'd taken Latin in high school and she'd always thought that the word "Valens" encompassed her powers beautifully.  Even more perfect, shortened to "Val", no one was any the wiser that it wasn't her _real_ name.  Valens was born and her old self, Elizabeth Morrow Kemp, was gone forever.  The few people in town who'd asked her for a name had been greeted to a stiff, "Val."  She paid cash for everything, so there was no need to start accounts.  Her parents were so adamant that she never return and never re-enter society that she received money from them every month, no matter what.  She was sure that they'd depleted their savings by now, but the checks kept coming.

Gritting her teeth, Val silently told herself to buck up.  There were thousands of people worse off than herself.  Homeless people.  Mutants who'd been cut off from their families but who looked different and were ostracized from society because of it.  She was lucky compared to some and she refused to ignore that.  She would not be a victim.  She was tough.  A survivor.  The world could go fuck itself.  She would carry on no matter what.

The snow crunched under her boots as she made her way up the driveway.  Thank God she was back.  It was so cold she was sure she'd have lost an appendage or two if she'd been out any longer.  Unlocking the door, she thankfully breathed in the warm air that greeted her return to the little house.  


	2. Chapter 2

A Man After Her Own Heart – Chapter Two

Disclaimer:  I own nothing but the story idea, Val and her family.

A/N:  Thanks for the reviews - they really keep me motivated.  This is still rated R, but it's only for language.  

~~

Logan slammed the door of the cab and swaggered up the front walk toward the mansion.  His cross-country trek had taken almost three days between hitchhiking, trains and cabs.  His borrowed leather still smelled of Val and he stuffed his fists into the pockets to keep out the biting wind.  The door opened before he even touched it and immediately Charles was in his head.  _Welcome back, Logan.  Was your trip restful?  _Logan thought about it and answered, _You could say that.  I'm glad to hear it_, Charles replied as Logan moved toward the older man's office.

"Why's that?" asked Logan aloud as he opened the door to Xavier's study.

"You're back just in time for a mission," explained Charles kindly from behind his desk.

"I just walked in the door and already you're sendin' me back out?" Logan protested half-heartedly.

"We need you," said Charles simply.

Logan blew out his breath and leaned against a wall.  "Where?"

"The Midwest.  Storm has all the particulars.  I picked up a new mutant with Cerebro who is just coming into her powers.  She's still very young, but her potential is incredible.  We would do well to have her here, rather than someplace Magneto can get his hands on her."

Logan narrowed his eyes the other man's name, still trying to remember his entire encounter with him.  Charles noticed and asked, "What is it?"

"I ran into Magneto while I was out there."

"Indeed?  And what happened?"

"It's a long story," began Logan.  "I think Magneto had a small, underground base or holding facility up by where Alkali Lake is.   You know that's where I went." Charles nodded, remembering his urgings to Logan about being careful, "While I was there something happened.  One minute I'm sittin' on the rocks lookin' at the water and the next I'm comin' to from a blackout.  They had me on a table.  Sabertooth was there and so was Mystique."

"But you were able to escape."

"Yeah," finished Logan, leaving out the part about Val.

"And you're all right?  That isn't the jacket that you left with, is it?" Charles was looking at him quizzically now.  

"I'm fine.  I swiped the jacket from someone on my way back here."

Charles, hearing the shift in Logan's tone of voice, knew he was lying about something, but decided to let it go.  He trusted Logan.  "If there's anything else that you remember and would like to talk about, I am always here."  

"When do we leave?" asked Logan, ignoring Charles' offer.

"Within the hour.  I suggest that you freshen up if you need to and meet Storm and Cyclops on board the Blackbird as soon as you are able."

Logan nodded, scowling at the phrase "freshen up", and left the study without another word.

The mansion was quiet and Logan liked it that way.  A glance at the day's newspaper in the train station had told him it was mid-week, so classes were in session, which would account for the silent hallways.  Logan reflected that the mansion was usually fairly silent in the teacher's wing, anyway.  Jean's death had cast a pall over the entire faculty and most of the students.  Digging themselves out from the depression was an unending process it seemed. 

It was funny…before this last trip Logan had been consumed with sorrow, but during the few short hours spent with Val, Jean had not weighed quite so heavily on his mind.  

On his way to his room, Logan caught sight of Scott heading toward him.  Neither man spoke as they passed each other, but Logan thought that Scooter looked a little better.  There'd been a period of time when Scott had not left his room for anything.  His depression and grief over Jean's death had threatened to take him whole.  Slowly, though, Scott was dealing with it, putting weight back on and teaching a few classes again.  

Once in his own room, Logan took off Val's jacket and laid it carefully on the bed along with the borrowed tee shirt.  Once in the bathroom, he tossed his socks, jeans and boxer-briefs into the hamper and jumped in the shower.  He wondered what Val was doing right now.  He rolled his eyes at himself and sighed.  Why did he even care?  She was just another woman and Lord knows he'd had his share.  There'd been more redheads since he'd met Jean, but other than that, his drive had remained steady.  She was just one more.

~~

The morning after she'd left Logan at the bar, Val headed into town in her old Ford to check her post office box.  Mail delivery didn't happen way out where she was, so she went into town once a week for her mail, groceries, and anything else she might need.  She was trying to get used to not having Logan around, but everywhere she turned some memory of him would flaunt itself in her mind.  It was a relief to get out of the house.

Pulling up outside the post office, she parked and entered the building.  Her box wasn't even half full.  There was some junk mail, some coupons from local businesses, and an envelope.  Should be my check, she thought to herself.  Leaving the post office, she got back in her car.  

Opening it, Val found that the contents were not a check, but a letter.  Scanning its contents quickly, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line.  This was bullshit.

Val pointed her battered old car toward home and gunned the engine.  It responded by dying a quick death.  "Fuck!" she shouted, frustrated.  "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_!!"  Panting at the exertion of screaming so loudly, Val turned the engine over and listened to it cough to life.  Slowly, she put the car in gear, eased out of her parking space and allowed the car to toddle homeward while she inwardly seethed.  

Her rant was as much about the letter as the car.  After all this time away, her parents were asking her to come home.  Not permanently, of course.  Val narrowed her eyes and spat, "Fucking _ass_holes."  Just until something could be done about her younger sister, Annie.

It's blackmail that's what it is, she thought to herself as she threw clothes in a bag to take with her.  They're withholding the money until I come home and deal with the problem.  To bad they didn't tell me what the problem is.  Fucking typical.  

She didn't have any reason to say no, though.  She didn't work, she didn't have pets, and she had no reason why she _couldn't_ go, other than she hated that town and everyone in it.  As long as they held the purse strings she _had_ to go, though.  She hated herself for that.  If she'd really wanted, she could have gone out and gotten a job.  She was just too scared to try.  Scared of herself and keeping her temper in check and what other people thought of her.  So, she'd allowed herself to fall into this position of weakness.  Well, this was it.  Once she got back from her parents', they could kiss her ass.  She wasn't going to take anymore of their money.

Tossing the bag into the old Ford, Val started it up and headed for the highway.  

It took her two and a half days to drive from her little house in Montana to her parent's place in North Dakota.  As she exited off the highway and drove the familiar streets leading to her hometown, she hurt a little inside.  Her stomach ached and she instinctively put a hand over it.  As an adolescent she'd had chronic ulcers over the stress of hiding her burgeoning strength and she could feel the bile start to swirl as she got closer. 

Navigating the streets of this small town was something she could almost do blindfolded.  Nothing had changed.  Everything was exactly where it had been when she'd left.  Her internal autopilot kicked on and she began to pay more attention to where she was than where she was going.  Main Street still held the post office, the market, the bookstore, the diner, and the video store.  The only thing that had changed was the faded paint on some of the buildings.

Passing it all, she shook her head and wondered what she'd find at her parents' house.  The Morrow's were middle class all the way.  They had a medium sized farmhouse with a wraparound porch.  From the time that Val was a child her parents would have it repainted the same white with black trim every five years and she could see as she pulled up in front of it that nothing had changed.  The swing was still attached to the roof above the porch.  There was still a rocker next to it.  

Val recalled warm summer nights sitting on the swing with her mother, enjoying the cool breeze the night air afforded.  It was just about the time that Val began to exhibit her powers that her mother had gotten pregnant again.  Val had always been an only child, but when she was of fourteen, her parents had another daughter and they named her Anne.

A few years later, Val was off to college, then back again in disgrace, then married, and then gone.  Annie was like another only child.  The sisters barely knew each other.  At thirteen or fourteen, Annie was probably an awkward girl who had oily skin and watched too much TV.  Val assumed that they would still have nothing in common.  In fact, she couldn't imagine what "needed to be done" with her sister that would require her presence.    

The snow was deep on the lawn and she made her way up the walk trying to avoid the patches of ice that hadn't been eaten away by the clumps of rock salt her father had strewn about.  Up the steps of the porch she went and to the door where she knocked.  That was the most bizarre thing of all. Knocking on the front door of the house where she'd grown up.  Pulling her jacket tighter around her slim shoulders, she knocked again, louder this time.  It was too fucking cold to be left outside.

Finally, she heard footsteps on the other side of the door and it opened slowly to reveal her mother, looking quite older than Val remembered.  "Hello!" her mother cried, looking fearful but happy to see her all the same.  "It's so good to see you again Lizzie," she continued as Val was pulled into a stiff hug.  The door closed behind her and Val could see that the interior of the house had not changed, either.  The same furniture and carpeting decorated the space that Val had once known so well.

"Won't you come in?" her mother asked as if she were a guest.  Val understood.  She wasn't here as a member of the family, but as a guest and a temporary one, at that.  Margaret Morrow looked like an older version of Val herself.  She was petite with dark hair and blue eyes, fair skin, and the same small nose.  Val noticed a lot more gray in her mother's short hair than there'd been when she'd left and more worry lines around her eyes and forehead.

Margaret led her daughter into the living room and they sat down.  "So, how have you been, Lizzie?" she asked.

Val looked at her mother with an expression of disbelief.  "Are you kidding me?"  She'd echoed Logan's expression without even thinking about it.  "I mean…can we not pretend that you care?" she asked in a biting tone.

"Lizzie, please," said Margaret, her voice drawing on years of peacekeeping.  "Let's not have any ugliness."

"Whatever," replied Val.  She wasn't Lizzie anymore and yet she was.  "What am I doing here?  The letter said to come as soon as possible.  What gives?"

"Annie is going to be staying with you for a while," said Margaret with false cheer.  As if the two would sit up every night giggling and braiding each other's hair.

"What?" asked Val sharply.  "What are you talking about, 'staying with me'?"  

"Your mother was supposed to wait for me to have this discussion with you."  John Morrow made his appearance in the doorway to the living room and frowned at his wife.  His silver hair and aged face belied his position of power in the family.  He ruled his home with an iron fist and always had.  No one had ever been physically beaten, but his words were often even more damaging than a physical blow would have been.  Coldly, he sat down in his chair and turned his furious gaze from his wife to his daughter.  "Elizabeth," he said by way of greeting.

"_Father_," Val returned, sarcasm dripping from the word.    

"How much has your mother told you?" he demanded to know.

"Just that Annie would be coming to stay with me for a while," replied Val, trying to sound bored and unaffected.  They would not hurt her again.  "Where is she anyway?"

"School.  She should be home in about an hour," supplied Margaret before a sharp look from her husband silenced her.

"Anne has begun to show signs of…that is, she's displayed an unnerving power as of late.  We feel that it would be best for her to live with you from now on."

"From now _what_?" hissed Val.  "No _way_.  You can't just…."

"Elizabeth," her father said icily.  "You are a legal adult.  It is perfectly normal for family members to visit each other.  We feel that Annie would _benefit_ from time spent with you.  And that's that."  Val understood.  He wasn't going to lay it all on the table because that's not what they did in this family.  Everything was in code.  By "benefit" her father meant that Annie wouldn't embarrass them or call attention to them any more.  She'd be gone, just like her sister.

"How can you do this?" asked Val, still grappling with the news that she'd be getting a thirteen-year old to raise very shortly.  "How can you just throw your daughters away?"

"When the daughters are as _different_," he said the word as if he were referring to garbage, "as you both are, it isn't so difficult."

"Well, _good_," said Val, suddenly on board with the whole idea.  "Perfect.  I'm sure she _will_ benefit from getting out of this puritanical _hellhole_.  I know I did.  Where are her bags?  I'll go put 'em in the car."  Val stood up and stalked out of the living room.  She stormed up the steps to her sister's room and pushed open the door.  Her mother scurried up the stairs behind her and entered Annie's room.

"He means well, you know, Lizzie."

"I understand that he's the asshole here," said Val, trying to keep her voice level.  "But you.  How can you let him do this to her?  How could you let him do it to _me_?  You realize what he's asking, don't you?  You'll never see us _again_."

Sorrowfully, Margaret dropped her head and said, "I know, Lizzie, but I think…I think it might be for the best."  The words were so unconvincing that Val could barely stand it.  Her stomach churned and she put a hand over the pain.  Annie had packed nothing.  Clearly, they hadn't told her that she'd be leaving.  Val closed her eyes and a sat on the bed with a defeated sigh.  Things had been so simple yesterday.  Yesterday.  Without asking, Logan drifted into her mind and she fought to push him out.  She needed to focus on _this_ right now.  She could brood about _him_ later.

~~

Logan stood up and followed Storm and Scott off the Blackbird.  He'd never seen such flat country before.  North Dakota looked like it had nothing to offer.  They'd landed in the middle of a field, near what looked like a county highway and there seemed to be no one and nothing around for miles.  From the belly of the Blackbird, Storm opened a trapdoor by remote and out rolled a sleek black car.  Since this was just a recruiting trip, they had not worn their X-Men uniforms.  They would merely be teachers from a private school on the east coast who had heard about this student whom they thought would make a wonderful addition to their academy.  Logan _had_ opted to continue wearing his borrowed leather jacket, though, and he breathed deeply the still-present but fading scent of Val.

Casting a disdainful eye on the bleak countryside around them, Logan followed his companions into the car.  Storm used the internal navigational system to find their mark and they were off.  Within thirty minutes they were driving through a small town looking for 112 Sioux Trail.  As they pulled up to the correct address, Logan noted with discomfort that he recognized the old Ford out front.  

"Who is this kid, again?" he asked hesitantly.

"The name is Anne Morrow," said Storm, reading from the file.  "She's got incredible telepathic abilities as well as telekinetic.  She's almost like another Jean," Ororo finished half to herself.

Scott snapped his head to look at Storm before noting curtly, "No one could replace Jean."

"Of course not, Scott, I didn't mean –" tried Ororo.

"Let's just go," interrupted Scott, staring straight ahead again.

"Okay," agreed Storm quietly.

"Wait," cautioned Logan.  "Who's that?"

The three mutants sat in silence as they watched a slim young girl walk down the street toward the house they were parked in front of.  She was wearing tight, low-rise jeans and a puffy winter coat with gloves.  On her back was a pack that resembled the kind you might find on any high-school student anywhere.  She gave them a once-over before turning down the walkway at 112 Sioux Trail.

"That's her," said Logan, already seeing the resemblance between the girl and Val.  "Shit.  This ain't gonna be easy."

"You never know," disagreed Ororo.  "Her parents might be an easy sell."

With a deep sigh, Logan noted, "It ain't her parents I'm worried about."


	3. Chapter 3

A Man After Her Own Heart – Chapter Three

Disclaimer:  I own nothing except Val, her family, and the story idea.

A/N:  Rated R for language.  If it's not your cup of tea, please don't read it.  

~~

Val was still upstairs when she heard the front door open and close.  "I'm home!" called out her sister.  "Mom!  Anyone here?"

"Upstairs," called Margaret over her shoulder.

Val heard footsteps on the stairs and in a few seconds was face-to-face with her sister.  She noted with surprise how much they looked alike, but then realized that if they both looked like their mother, then of course they'd look alike.

"Oh, my God, Lizzie!  When did you get back?"  Annie catapulted herself at Val and if it weren't for her strength, Val would have gone down under Annie's glee at the reunion.  Obviously Annie didn't have the same feelings their parents did.  It had been five long years since they'd seen each other.  Annie had been eight at the time.  Now she was thirteen.

"Just now," replied Val, still holding her sister in a tight hug.  "God, it's good to see you."

"Annie," said Margaret.  "Sit down, please.  I need to speak with you."

Before Annie could reply, though, the doorbell rang.  "Who in the world could that be?" wondered Margaret in annoyance as she turned and left the room.

Alone, Val pulled away from her sister's grip and said, "How would you like to come stay with me for a while?"

"Stay with you?  What are you talking about?  It's the middle of the school year.  Besides, like Dad would ever let _that_ happen."  Annie tossed her chin-length shag and said, "Why don't you move back here, though?"  

"That's not gonna happen," replied Val a little too gruffly.

"Annie!" called John from the foot of the stairs.  "Come down here!"

Annie rolled her eyes and muttered, "The master and commander beckons."

Val chuckled at that and said, "What did you call him?"

"Master and commander…like the book or the movie.  That's only one of many, though.  I've got a thousand."

Annie flung her book bag onto her bed and the two girls walked downstairs.  They could hear voices in the living room and they looked at each other trying to gauge how much the other knew. 

Val hung back and let Annie go in first.  The sight that greeted her when she finally entered made her gasp loudly.  What the fuck was _he_ doing here?  And in her fucking jacket, too!

Ororo and Scott noticed that Val was staring at Logan, exchanged glances and then looked to Logan for help, or at the very least an explanation, but none was forthcoming.

"Elizabeth," John said sharply.  "Is there a problem?"

Val pulled her accusing gaze from Logan's dark eyes long enough to look at her father and shake her head, mute from the shock.

"Lizzie, this is Ororo Munroe, Scott Summers, and Professor Logan of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," introduced Margaret.  "They're interested in enrolling Annie in their school."

Recovering, Val crossed her arms over her chest, narrowed her eyes and glared at Logan before saying conversationally, "Over my dead body."  

"Ms. Morrow, we've just been telling your parents what we can offer Annie," replied the woman with cocoa brown skin and white hair…Ororo.

"Really, it's quite a wonderful experience for anyone with her aptitude," added the man with the red glasses…Steve?  It didn't matter.

Annie edged close to Val and said, "You okay?"

Logan had remained quiet during the exchange.  Val's eyes bore into his.  "How exactly did you do this?" she asked the man who had less than a week ago spent the night in her bed.  "Was it all part of some elaborate plan?  What the _fuck_ – "

"Language, Lizzie!" tittered Margaret.  "I'm _very_ sorry about that, I don't know _what's_ gotten into her today!"

John stared at Val and said frostily, "Elizabeth, it appears that we no longer need your assistance.  You can go."  She had been dismissed.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Val raged.  "These people have been here for what, two minutes, and you're ready to hand over your daughter lock, stock, and barrel?"

"They seem to have a wonderful program," protested Margaret weakly.  "It's on the east coast…think of the wonderful opportunities for Annie…and best yet, she qualifies for a full scholarship."

"I just bet she does," said Val darkly.  She raked her eyes over Logan's form, still waiting for him to speak.  When he said nothing, just continued to hold her gaze, Val broke the silence by stating the obvious.  "This is bullshit.  Annie, we're outta here."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" boomed John.

Annie stepped away from Val.  Her sister's gaze was darting back and forth between Professor Logan and their father.  She'd already preformed mind-scans on the three strangers and they were all harmless and well meaning.  She wasn't worried about going with them, but she felt a great deal of hurt and anger coming from Lizzie and she was worried about that.  Also, she knew their father well enough to know that if you crossed him, you could expect bad things.

Sure enough, without waiting for an answer, John Morrow stood quickly and stalked past Val, catching her arm along the way to drag her from the room.  If she'd been ready for the attack she would have used her strength to keep herself in place, but the surprise of it knocked her off balance and she was forced to stumble along behind her father as he humiliated her in of the three strangers by taking her away as if she were a two-year-old in the midst of a tantrum.  Well, _two_ strangers, she corrected herself as she finally caught her balance and ripped her arm from his hand.

"What the hell is the matter with you," he snarled when they were alone in the kitchen.  

"Me?  Who do you think _you_ are?  You're so ready to get rid of your daughter that you have no idea what kind of people these are."

"You will not speak to me like that, Elizabeth," her father replied coldly.  Faster than she expected, her father's hand was coming at her, stopping just as it would have connected with her cheek bone.

"That's ain't a very good idea, Mr. Morrow," Logan murmured, his grip tight on John Morrow's wrist.  Logan had appeared literally from nowhere.  Val couldn't believe how silently he'd approached and struck.  Ironically, it was the same hold he'd used on Val the first night in the truck when she'd gone for the radio.  She'd given him the finger for it, though, while her father went limp and almost whimpered in response.  Logan didn't know where she'd gotten her balls from, but it wasn't her father.  The man was all talk.

"Is everything all right in here?" Margaret trilled as she entered the kitchen through the swing door.  "Oh, my," she faltered when she saw her husband's hand raised to strike her daughter, stayed only by Professor Logan.

"Everything's fine, Mom," said Val before she tore her eyes away from Logan's and left the room.  Logan released his hold on John but warned him in a low voice, "Hittin' ain't a good way to communicate."  

"I'll keep that in mind," John replied with an edge to his voice, while rubbing his wrist.

Val had pulled Annie upstairs and said, "Get your stuff together.  We're leaving before Dad really loses it."

"But, Lizzie," Annie objected, "I think it'll be okay.  This school sounds kind of cool.  Plus…I mean…Dad doesn't like me to talk about this, but I can tell things about people and they're…they're okay.  They're telling the truth.  They only want what's best for me."

Val stared hard at her sister.  "Annie, I know this might all sound good, but you're just a kid.  You don't know the things people will do to you, especially once they know that you're…different.  I just want to protect you."

"Protect me?  From what?  And what do you know about being different, anyway?" Annie scoffed as only a thirteen-year-old could.  "Do you know that I can go into people's heads?  And what's more, I can move things with my mind.  Just by thinking about it.  It's the most amazing thing you'll ever see!"

This was news to Val, but she said, "I believe you, but I don't trust them.  And I _do_ know what it's like to be different.  We don't have time to go into it right now, but I can assure you that I do."

Annie regarded her sister thoughtfully.  A quick mind-scan told her that Lizzie wasn't lying, but Annie was still unsure what to do.  "Look," offered Val, "come with me now and if you hate it, you can always go to the school later.  We can go together and take a good long look at it and make sure it's the right place for you.  I just think this is too big of a decision to make in the first thirty seconds of being asked."

That sounded reasonable enough to Annie and she slowly nodded.  She'd known her father's feelings for as long as she could read his mind.  This wasn't the place for her and as sad as she was to leave, she'd known that this day would come sooner or later.

"Okay," Annie agreed.  "Let me put some things in a bag.  I'll meet you downstairs."

"Good." Val smiled with relief and left her sister.

Once downstairs again, Val blatantly ignored the questioning eyes of her parents and the "school people".   Even as cold as it was outside, it was nothing compared to how cold it was inside.  Without a word, Val opened the front door, stepped out onto the front porch and closed the door firmly behind her.  The silence of the winter's afternoon hung heavily around her and she shivered at the sharp gust of wind.  Icicles hung dangerously pointed from the roof and she felt her stomach protest again.

Crossing her arms across her chest, not an easy thing to do with her big jacket on, Val leaned against the side of the house and waited for Annie.  When the door opened again she turned to see the white-haired woman, Steve, and Logan exiting.

"I think we'd better be going, then," said the woman.

"It's nothing personal," Val lied.  

"If you change your mind, please get in touch with us as soon as possible," said Steve.  She took his card and noted that his name was actually Scott, not Steve.  Scott Summers.

"Sure thing," she said tonelessly.

Scott and Ororo headed toward the shiny black car parked behind her old Ford and she again waited for Logan to speak.  Finally, she turned to him and out of complete frustration asked, "What the fuck?"

"C'mon, Lizzie, don't be that way," Logan half-smiled, trying to break the tension.

"Fuck you," she spat.

"I swear, I had no idea this was your sister," he confessed.

"Whatever," Val bit out.  "I don't know what to believe anymore.  Just stay away from me and stay away from my family, okay?"

"The school's legitimate," Logan argued.  "We couldn't tell your parents this, but it's a place for young mutants who need to learn to use their powers or who just need a place to go.  From what we understand your sister has the potential to be a very powerful telepath and telekinetic.  But that means there are people out there who'll want to use her.  Magneto, for instance, is probably looking for her."

Val's eyes met Logan's and she thought about this piece of information.  Annie had assured her that he was telling the truth and she wanted to believe him, but….  "I'll take my chances," she replied roughly.

Logan nodded, not surprised at this.  "Well, if you ever need us…or me…you can use this."  He handed her a small black communicator.  It was a very high-tech walkie-talkie that had a homing device attached.  If she called for help they'd be there no matter what.

Nodding, Val accepted it and said, "Okay."

Logan stood before her a moment longer and was just about to turn the subject to other things when Annie opened the door and stepped out with a suitcase. 

"Ready," she said.

"Okay, then," sighed Val, breaking the look she'd been sharing with Logan.  "Bye, Logan."

"Bye, Val.  It was nice to meet you, Annie.  Take care a your sister."

"I will, Professor Logan," smiled Annie back.

The two girls watched him walk toward the black car that already held Ororo and Scott, and get in.

"Let's go, kiddo," muttered Val.  "I'm freezing."

They forced themselves to walk against a stiff cold wind as it swept across the Dakota prairies.  "This is your car?" asked Annie as they reached the old Ford.

"Yup," replied Val, unlocking it.

"It's kind of…crappy," Annie observed.

Val chuckled and said, "Yup."

They got in and watched the black car pass them and drive away.  Val put the communicator on the seat between them and turned the engine over.  It coughed a few times, but started and they slowly rolled away from their parent's house, probably for the last time.  


	4. Chapter 4

A Man After Her Own Heart – Chapter Four

Disclaimer:  I own nothing but Val, Annie and the story idea.

A/N:  Still Rated R for language.  If you don't like it R-rated language, don't read this.

~~

Val pointed the old Ford toward the highway and they rolled along the desolate county roads quickly, wanting to make as much headway as possible with the little remaining daylight.

Annie was busy playing with the radio and chattering about how long the trip would take when Val spotted something on the horizon.  It looked like a roadblock and she slowed down a little remembering Logan's warning about Magneto.

As they got closer, Val could see that it looked like to be minor road construction and she slowed to a stop for the man holding the portable stop sign.  Shifting in her seat, Annie said absently, "This isn't right."  Then, staring hard at the stop sign holder she repeated, "Something isn't right."

Val looked at her sister and replied.  "Don't get out of the car.  Hold this," she handed Annie the communicator from Logan, "and if anything happens turn it on and hide it on yourself somewhere."

"Where?" asked Annie blankly.

"Anywhere," replied Val gruffly.  "Stuff it down your pants if you have to."

"My sister, the debutante," deadpanned Annie.

"This is serious," warned Val noting a big blonde guy in the distance.  He looked distressingly like the guy she'd fought in the cell of Magneto's underground base.  "I'm just gonna go see what the problem is."

"Be careful," said Annie with uncharacteristic solemnity.

"I will," Val assured her.  "Lock the doors."

"Okay."

Val got out of the car and started toward the sign holder, who quickly morphed into the blue bitch with orange hair!  Val couldn't believe it!

Mystique narrowed her eyes and said, "Hello, again," before using the flat side of the sign to hit Val's head as hard as she could.  Val was prepared, though and while the blow stung, it barely caused her to flinch.  In fact, Val caught the sign and pulled it free from Mystique's grip, spun it around and stabbed it into the bitch's gut with all her might.  Mystique landed, sprawled, fifty feet away.  

Annie gaped with an open mouth at her sister.  This wasn't the Lizzie she'd known as a child.  She was holding her own against these people.   

Sabertooth was quickly approaching, though.  He growled at Val and she felt herself break out in a cold sweat.  Her adrenaline was pumping and her heart rate had spiked.  She'd never been trained to fight and her moves were sloppy and ill orchestrated.  In a fight where she didn't surprise him from behind, she was worried at how she would fare. 

"You want some more?" she taunted him, hoping to at least make him _think_ she knew what she was doing.  "Didn't get enough in Canada?" she asked as she moved away from the car.  She wanted to keep him as far from Annie as possible.

"You caught me by surprise before," snarled Sabertooth.

"Should I send you an engraved invitation next time?" jeered Val.  

"Won't be a next time," he promised with his lip curled. 

"Fuckin' A," she answered, getting into the trash talk as they circled each other.

In the car, Annie decided that she wasn't going to take any chances.  Mystique was heading back toward them with a hard stare directed at herself and Lizzie was currently getting ready to fight a guy who was literally three times her size.  

Picking up the black communicator, Annie turned it on and then hid it in her jacket pocket.  Her body tensed as she concentrated on the trying to help Val.  With her mind she began to pick up objects and hurl them at Sabertooth.

Distracted, he tried to shield his head from the flying rocks and road equipment.

Good job, thought Val.  Kick his ass!

_Thanks_, returned Annie, in Val's head.  _Now watch your back!  The blue lady is getting closer._

Val snapped her head around in time to see Mystique launch herself at her in full battle mode.  Never having been trained as a fighter, Val simply stepped out of the way and let Mystique glide through the frigid air feet first and then land a few feet away.  

Annie continued her psychic assault on Sabertooth as Val and Mystique now circled each other.

"What do you want?" demanded Val.

"First," replied Mystique calmly, "I'm to kill you.  And then, I'm going to take your baby sister to Magneto as a gift.  I think he'll like that, don't you?"  Mystique lifted her arms at the display of Annie's power.

"Over my _dead body_," Val found herself saying for the second time in less than an hour. 

"Were you not listening to the plan?" asked Mystique with a smile as she prepared for another attack.

~~

Logan slumped in his seat on the Blackbird, trying to decide if there might have been a better way to handle the conversation between he and Val.  But she rejected him, he reminded himself.  She was nothing.  He didn't want to think about her anymore.  In fact, he was done thinking about her right…now.  At that moment, of course, the black communicator went off.  The fates really hated him.  

They were just getting ready to take off.  "Storm," Logan called from one of the seats in the back.  

Storm turned to him and he showed her the communicator beeping wildly.  "Not good," she said grimly.  Taking it from him, she fit it into the console and picked up the girls' position were in a seconds.  "About a mile away," she murmured.  

"We can be there in two minutes," said Scott, preparing for lift off.

Logan clenched his fists together and hoped Val and Annie would be okay until they arrived.

~~

Annie was running out of objects to hurl at Sabertooth and, she hated to admit it, but she was getting tired.  Her powers were not that advanced and she hadn't had many opportunities to practice with them.  Sabertooth seemed to sense her weakness and he stalked her, still in the car, as he waited for her to lose her strength.

Meanwhile, not far away, Val scuffled with Mystique.  Val was trying to maintain her stance, but Mystique had picked up right away what her power was and rather than attack in a traditional way, she was trying to throw Val off balance.  Sweeping her legs under Val's, Mystique succeeded in felling her opponent.  Immediately, she slammed her knees onto Val's chest and used her advantage to squeeze Val's windpipe in her blue fingers.  

Choking for air, Val flailed her arms under Mystique's body, but the other woman only squeezed harder.  The last thing Val saw before she lost consciousness was Mystique's satisfied smile.

~~

Storm landed the Blackbird near the now-abandoned Ford and the three X-Men hurried off.  Logan was the first to reach the old car and he let his hypersensitive nose direct them to what looked to be an old barn on the other side of the road, halfway into a snowy field.

"They're in the barn," he said as he sprinted toward the building with Storm and Scott close on his heals.  As he ran, the frigid air stung his lungs, but he didn't care.  He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forgive himself if anything happened to Val or Annie.


	5. Chapter 5

A Man After Her Own Heart – Chapter Five

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything but Val, Annie and the story idea.

A/N:  Still rated R for language.  If it's not your cup of tea, please don't read it.  

~~

Annie watched, horrified, as the blue woman choked Lizzie until her sister lay unconscious on the cold highway.  Her own dwindling strength meant that she would not be able to protect herself from Sabertooth much longer.  In fact, he was coming at her now with a look on his face that suggested he thought she'd make a nice snack until dinnertime came around.  Panicked, Annie reached out with her mind to Lizzie and shrieked desperately, _Get up!!  Lizzie, you have to wake up!  Now!!!  _But Lizzie remained unaffected.

"Oh, no," whimpered Annie as Sabertooth strode to the passenger side door and ripped it off its hinges.  "No!" she screamed as he grabbed her arm and nearly ripped it out of the socket.  She was small, built like her sister, and he easily slung her up over his shoulder.  Furious with herself and him and the entire situation, she beat her fists against his lower back and screamed for him to stop but to no avail.  

Sabertooth moved to Mystique and growled, "I got it from here."  

Complying, Mystique moved off of Val's prone body and Sabertooth stooped to put one tiny wrist in his hand, before dragging Val across the street and through the snow-covered field to the abandoned barn where their transportation was.  Mystique followed the trio.

Tossing the girls into the back of the waiting SUV, Sabertooth slammed the door shut.  Annie noted with growing panic that the backseat was divided from the trunk space where they were with steel fencing. Frantically, she shook Lizzie to get her to wake up.  _Come on, Lizzie!  Wake up!  I need you, _she called into Val's mind but with no response.

Sabertooth and Mystique were up front by now and the big man started the truck easily.  Drawing on all her reserves, Annie closed her eyes and concentrated her energy on one focused point.  Just as she was about to give up, the engine died and she opened her eyes and gave a sigh of relief.  _I just bought us some time, but you have to wake up, Lizzie.  I don't know where they're taking us and the communicator thing didn't work!  _"Come on," coaxed Annie as she shook Val's shoulder.

"Goddamit!" Sabertooth cursed as he got out to see what was wrong with the engine.  Mystique turned around while he was under the hood and said evilly, "Whatever you're doing it won't work."

Annie ignored her and gritted her teeth together as she continued to try to rouse Val.  _Lizzie!_ she raged.  _Open your eyes!!_  

~~

Sabertooth stood over the engine and tried to find the problem.  The little brat had obviously done something to it and he had to figure out what and soon.  Behind him he heard a noise and when he turned, there stood Storm and Cyclops behind the Wolverine.  They looked at him as if he were filth and he roared at them in response.  As he charged the three, Cyclops blasted him and Sabertooth flew to the other side of the barn.  

Scott followed to make sure Sabertooth was really down and Storm headed for Mystique who was still in the SUV.  Logan made for the trunk and popped a claw to unlock it.  Opening it up he was met with an almost hysterical Annie.  "She won't wake up!" she cried.  "I don't know what to do!"

Logan pulled Val from the cramped interior and laid her out on the barn floor.  Reaching for her wrist, he found that her pulse was weak but steady and she was breathing.  "She'll be all right, I think," he told Annie, who'd followed them down to the floor.  "Are _you_ okay?" he asked, his calm voice belied his internal anxiety.

"I'm fine," she assured him, nodding quickly.  

There were finger-shaped bruises forming around Val's throat and Logan felt his fury swell.  Leaving her with Annie, he made for Mystique with his claws extended, nostrils flared and teeth bared.

He stormed over to where Ororo was and with a roar, slammed Mystique against the side of the car.  "Logan," cried Storm, alarmed at the intensity of his attack.  

With his claws pointed at her chest and his entire weight thrown onto her, he snarled, "How did you know they'd be here?"

Wincing, Mystique replied, "We were a few days behind you two and got to that dump after she'd left.  Dumb bitch left the letter and envelope lying on the kitchen table.  It didn't take a detective."

"Why was she in that cell?"

Mystique made no attempt to hide her scorn as she said, "Wrong place, wrong time.  Magneto just wanted.  She happened to be nearby when we nabbed you and so we thought we'd take her too in case she saw anything."

"Logan," Storm said gently.  

Releasing her, Logan pulled back and allowed Storm to bind Mystique's wrists.  Nearby Cyclops was checking Sabertooth for signs of life.  

Logan started toward them but stopped when he heard Annie say, "I think she's waking up!  Lizzie!  Can you hear me?"

Rushing back to Val's side, Logan crouched on the ground.  Retracting his claws, he placed a hand on her head so that he could brush the pad of his thumb across her forehead.

"Val!" he said roughly.  

Slowly, as if she was swimming to shore against a strong current, Val pushed against the black waters of her mind and winced as she opened her eyes.  The first thing she saw was Logan's face floating above her.

"The hell?" she rasped, her voice in terrible shape thanks to Mystique.

Logan shook his head at her and closed his eyes for a moment, refusing to let her see how happy he was that she was okay.  "You fight like a girl," he cracked brusquely.  The fact that he didn't have any evidence to base this comment on didn't faze him.  

"Fuck off!" she replied and punched him in the stomach for the second time in a week.  The first time, she'd sent him across a room, now, because she was still a little weak, she just knocked him on his ass.     

"Language, Lizzie!" trilled Annie, perfectly mocking their mother.  She was thrilled to see that her sister seemed no worse for the wear.

Val smiled at her sister as she sat up and coughed a few times, taking in their surroundings.

"What happened?  How did they find us so quickly?" asked Val, still confused.

"They've been to your place," explained Logan.  "They found the letter from your parents."

Val nodded, realizing that this blew her cover.  Now that Magneto knew where she lived, he could come get her whenever he wanted. 

"What's a magneto?" asked Annie, who'd been reading Val's thoughts.

"Not a what, a who," corrected Val, sharing a glance with Logan.  "He's the bad guy.  These two," she indicated Mystique and the still unmoving Sabertooth with her head, "work for him."

Annie nodded thoughtfully and helped Val stand.  Logan tried to help, too, but she stepped easily out of his grasp.  Logan glanced away, a little hurt.  

Regrouping, the X-Men, the Morrow sisters, and their two bad guys headed for the Blackbird.  Storm made sure that Mystique cooperated while Cyclops and Logan dragged the body of Sabertooth behind them.  Bringing up the rear were Annie and Val.

"So what now?" asked the younger Morrow.

"Not sure," replied Val honestly.  "We can either keep heading for Montana, find another place and try to lay low with our powers, or we can go look at the school, I guess.  What do you think?"

Annie pursed her lips and spoke to Lizzie in her mind, _Things seem tense between you and Professor Logan.  If we go to the school will you…will you be okay?_

_Things are _fine_ between Professor Logan and I_, Val scoffed.  _Trust me, whatever was there, I'm over it.  _Val noticed Logan's shoulders stiffen in front of her and she fought back the urge to ask him if _he_ was all right.

_Are you sure? _pressed Annie, picking up the stray thought._  Because you hit him awfully hard back there and it just seems like something's…_

_Stop it, _Val cut her sister off._  It's all good in the hood or whatever it is you kids are saying these days._

Annie giggled aloud and repeated, "_Good_ in the _hood_?  You're gonna embarrass me worse than Mom if you keep talking like that."

Val chuckled at her own lack of cool.  "Tough," she said firmly.  "Now get outta my head.  It can't be good manners."

"Sorry.  I guess it's a bad habit.  I used to do it to Dad all the time."

"Oh, yeah?" Val asked, intrigued.

"Uh huh," said Annie breezily. 

"Learn anything interesting?"

"Nah, just your usual run-of-the-mill stuff.  He worried about you a lot."

"Okay, kiddo, time to sell crazy some place else," Val scoffed.

"No, Lizzie, he did."

Val stopped in her tracks and faced Annie, letting the others walk ahead.  Logan, of course, with his hypersensitive hearing, heard it all.  "First of all," Val lectured, "now that we're outta that house, don't ever call me Lizzie again, okay?  Lizzie doesn't exist anymore.  She's not a real person.  I'm Val.  Got it?"

"Yeah," replied Annie warily.

"Second of all, I don't wanna hear about how Dad _worried_ about me.  If he really gave a damn, he wouldn'ta shipped me off to the middle of nowhere.  Are we clear on this?"

"Uh huh," said Annie in the same wary tone. 

"Okay, good," said Val, turning to continue across the field.  Far in front of her, she could see the shoulders of her leather jacket strain against the breadth of Logan's back.  Bastard's gonna stretch that jacket all to shit, she thought bitterly.  Asshole.

Annie trailed behind Val, still covertly investigating her sister's mind, but keeping her distance.  Lizzie…no, Val, she corrected herself, certainly had inherited their father's temper.

Once on board the Blackbird with Mystique and Sabertooth safely tucked away in the prisoner's quarters, everyone buckled in for the ride back to the mansion.  The air was stilted between Logan and Val and everyone sort of maintained their distance.  About halfway there, Annie fell asleep in her chair next to Val's, and Logan took the opportunity to get up and make his way back to them.  He sat down on Val's other side and said, "Interesting trip, eh?"

"To say the least," Val agreed, with a level voice.

"So, you both coming back to the school, then?  I think it'll be good.  The Professor will help Annie control and develop the powers she's got."

"Annie and I are _looking_ at the school," Val stressed.  "We'll decide if she'll stay there after we've seen it."

"It's your call," he agreed.

The awkwardness seemed to churn into the atmosphere and linger between them.  This was exactly why Val hadn't ever wanted to see him again.  The morning-after tension was now going to be played out whenever they were in a room together.  How could she keep her mind on anything he said when he smelled so good?  And how could she be expected to ignore how good he smelled when it was all she could think about?  This was bad.  Once a decision was made about Annie, she'd be leaving, with or without her sister.  Any other option would be too weird.

"Yep.  It is," she said, unable to think of anything else to say.

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the dull roar of the jet's engines.  Finally, Logan spoke again.  "Listen," he said gruffly.  "About that night –"

"We're both adults," Val interrupted with harshly.  "I _think_ I can keep my hands off you while I'm at the school," she finished with a roll of her eyes and a toss of her head.

Bristling, Logan curled his lip and replied, "Yeah, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to resist your _fantastic_ personality."

Val snapped her head toward his and opened her mouth to shoot another verbal dart his way, but he was too fast for her.  "But you've got the wrong idea.  All I wanted to say was that now we're even.  You saved my ass and now I saved yours.  We're even and after this, God willing, we don't ever have to meet up again."

"Good," she snapped a bit more harshly than she'd really intended.  The hurt in her eyes clouded with rage and he almost thought he'd missed it.  Frustrated, he left her with a grunt.

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that," he said from the other side of the plane.

She flipped him off.

At the control panel Scott turned banefully to Storm and said, "Are we there yet?"

With a roll of her eyes Storm groaned, "I _wish_."

   


	6. Chapter 6

A Man After Her Own Heart – Chapter Six

A/N:  I hate when stories are left unfinished so I'm going to finish this up shortly, but I've lost quite a bit of inspiration.  For those of you who are reading and enjoying and leaving reviews, I really appreciate it.  This chapter is rated R for language and macking.

~~

The Blackbird landed under the basketball court almost twenty minutes later.  Annie awoke with a just a little prompting from Val.  

"Are we there?" she asked sleepily.

"I think so," affirmed Val.  The girls stood and waited for Storm to lower the ramp.  Logan had gone with Cyclops to remove the prisoners from the hold.

As they de-planed and followed Storm through the subbasements of the mansion, Val was not only taken aback at the extensive underground hallways and rooms, but by the obvious planning that had gone into the building and the wealth that it must have taken to create such a structure.  "This is a school?" she wondered aloud.

"Yes and no," replied Ororo with a smile.  "The Professor will explain everything."

She led them to an elevator, which took them to the main floor and Val was again taken aback at the opulence surrounding them.  As she took in their surroundings, Storm led them to a pair of doors where she knocked twice and then entered.  

Val and Annie followed her inside where they were greeted by an older man in a motorized wheel chair.

~~

Later, after meeting with the professor and deciding to stay a few days, they were given a tour, the end of which left them at a room they could share while they stayed at the mansion.

"Should Annie decide to stay on permanently, she'll be given a room in the student's wing and be assigned a roommate," the professor explained.  "Until then, I think you'll both be quite comfortable here."

The room was sumptuous compared to Val's little house in Montana.  There were two double beds separated by a nightstand, two dressers, an armoire that contained a television set and radio with cd player, a closet and a bathroom.

"Thanks," replied Val sincerely.

"Dinner is at six so you have a few hours to relax.  I'll send someone up to show you the way when the time comes," he finished before leaving them.

Annie and Val looked at each other.     

"Pretty cool, huh?" asked Annie as she lugged her suitcase onto the bed nearest the window.

Val put her bag on the bed by the door and said, "So far.  It's hard to believe, though.  I mean, we're at a school for people like _us_."

"I know," agreed Annie.  "Although," she continued, "I didn't know there was an 'us' until today."  She sat on the bed and studied Val. 

"Now you know," replied Val with a shrug.  "We're both freaks."

"Shut up!" laughed Annie  "We're _not_ freaks, we're just…what was the work the professor used?  _Evolved_," she finished with a firm nod of her head.

"Well, we're in the minority and that makes us freaks to the rest of society," countered Val pensively.

"Is that why you left?" asked Annie.

"It's why I was sent away," Val explained shortly.

"No way," Annie said with a disbelieving shake of her head.

"Way," Val said as she flopped onto her bed, arms spread above her head.  It was nice to be able to relax.

"Dad?"

"Yeah," Val answered.

"Damn."

"Yeah," repeated Val.

"Why'd you come back?"  

"If you can read my mind, you probably already know."

"I want to hear you say it," declared Annie.

Val sighed.  "Okay.  Dad was getting nervous about your powers and he wanted me to take you back to Montana with me.  For good."

Annie blanched at Val's blunt words, but nodded and said, "I know.  I kept hoping that he'd change his mind, but…."

"You really wanted to stay there?"  It was Val's turn to raise her eyebrows in disbelief.

"No, but…it was home, you know?  It's the only place I've ever lived.  And now I'm here."  Annie's voice caught a little, but she held herself together and shook her head again trying to take it all in.

"But I'm here, too," reminded Val softly.  "And you don't have to stay if you don't like it.  We can hit the rode tomorrow if you want," she promised softly.

Annie nodded but it didn't make her feel any better.  The reality of the trip was starting to hit her and she felt a little strange.  She would never see her parents again…because that's how they wanted it.  

"You okay?" Val could see the impact of the day starting to take effect.

Annie nodded and drew her knees up to her chest.  "Tell me about your powers."

~~

By the time the knock at the door came to tell them dinner was served, Val had told Annie everything that had ever happened to her, including the incident at college her disastrous marriage, and her rescue of Logan.  The only thing she'd left out was the night spent with Logan.  Since it wasn't exactly a PG-13 story, Val thought it was better left a mystery.  Annie, if she telepathically knew anything, didn't let on.

They had both showered and changed when they heard the knock and Annie bounded over to the door with seemingly unbridled enthusiasm.  She pulled it open to reveal Logan, in jeans and white tee shirt.

"Hey, Professor Logan," she said with a smile.  

"Now that we're here you can drop the professor.  Just call me Logan," he said looking passed Annie to Val who was doing her best to ignore the flutter in her stomach.  

"Okay," Annie replied.  "So, is your room as nice as ours?  It's almost like staying a hotel don't you think?"

Annie continued the chatter until they reached the dining room and Logan left them to eat with Professor Xavier.  Val tried not to care.

Dinner was fine.  They got to know each other better and throughout, the professor introduced them to passing students.  By the time dinner was over, Annie had become fast friends with some of the other girls her age.  

"Li- Val," Annie said, catching herself with an awkward laugh, "I'm gonna go see what their rooms look like, okay?  Do you mind?"

"No, it's okay.  Have fun and make sure you're able to find your way back to the room," teased Val.

She watched Annie leave and she smiled, happy that her sister was fitting in so quickly.  Her thoughts were interrupted by the professor.  "It looks like she'll get along very well, here," he commented kindly.

Val turned her gaze from Annie's retreating figure to the professor's lined face.  He looked so kind and willing to help her.  "Yes," she replied.  "It does."

"Is your room comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied with a nervous smile.  She was unused to being around all these people and still less used to having someone's attention fully focused on herself.

"Excellent," replied Charles as he wheeled toward the doors.  She followed him and they parted ways at the elevator, she heading back up to the third floor, he wanting to check on some of his students in the library.

When the elevator doors opened, Val got out and looked up and down the hallway.  It didn't look right.  Maybe she'd gotten off on the wrong floor.  Tentatively making her way to the right, she studied the walls and closed doors hoping something familiar would jump out at her.  They all looked the same, though.

Frustrated she spun around to make her way back to the elevator and almost crashed into Logan.  "Gah!" she shouted.  Then, recovering, she punched him in the arm and shouted, "What the _hell_ are you doing sneaking up on me?  You scared me to _death_!"

Putting a hand to her chest in an effort to calm her heart down, Val leaned against the wall for support.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me coming," Logan apologized with a smile as he massaged the spot on his upper arm that she'd attacked.

"How could I hear you coming if you don't make any noise when you move?" she asked impatiently.

"I make noise," he argued.

"No you don't!"  Val was completely unnerved by his presence.  "You're like a ninja or something."

Logan cocked his head to one side and acknowledged, "I _am_ pretty stealthy."

"Oh, shut up," she snapped.  "What are you doing here anyway?"

"On my way to my room," he said simply with a nod of his head to one of the nearby doors.

"Oh," Val said, trying to hide her interest.  No!  Trying to not _be_ _interested_.  "Your room is near here?"

Resting a hand on the wall near her head, Logan leaned into her before responding in a low voice, "Uh huh."

Her mouth felt dry and she licked her lips.  His eyes followed the movement and he smiled a little.  He was way too close, she decided.  Val closed her eyes in an effort to block him from view, but then she immediately noticed how good he smelled and her eyes flew open.  

"Wanna see it?" he asked.

She was confused.  They were in a well-lit hallway for Heaven's sake.  He couldn't be serious.  "What?"

"My room?  It's right here.  Wanna see it?"

"Oh…oh, right," she said, stumbling for words and blushing.

"What did you think I meant?" he asked with a friendly leer.

"Nothing!" she cried, hating her high-pitched squeak of a voice.  

"You've got a dirty mind," Logan scolded her softly and with a slow smile.  Val stared into his dark eyes and wished she were anywhere but there.  She had the strength to push him away but not the willpower.

"No I don't," she protested weakly.

"Yes, you do, but it's okay.  I like that in a woman," he said before leaned into her and running his tongue up the side of her earlobe.  She had to lock her knees in order to keep them from buckling.

"Jesus," she whispered as her stomach did flip-flops.

"So does that mean you wanna see it?" he rumbled into her ear.

Val tried to shrug, tried to act like it didn't matter to her.  Logan noticed and smiled.  He'd make her pay for that.  

Still balanced on one hand he took his other hand and settled it on her hip, gently kneading the soft flesh under her clothing.  His own clothing had become uncomfortably tight but he pressed on.  Hopefully it would not be in vain.  She sighed as he continued to work her earlobe and neck.

"Logan," she rasped.  "Someone could…I mean…shouldn't we…." She trailed off unable to finish her thought.  Her body was responding to his ministrations and she couldn't deny it.  She instinctively arched her back to press herself closer to his warmth.

"Shouldn't we what?" he asked innocently as he moved to rediscover the other side of her neck.

"I…I…think maybe…." Val gasped as her insides continued to flutter about.  She felt the familiar warmth of arousal and she wriggled her legs against his.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked noting the change in her scent right away and loving it.  

"No…not necessarily," she admitted as her fingers found the hard surface of his chest.

"Then what's the problem?" he asked, still trying to play innocent.

"I just think that maybe we should – " Logan cut her off with his mouth and she returned the kiss hungrily.  Forcing one hand into his hair and allowing the other to trail down his chest, she kissed him hungrily.

He responded in kind, pulling her cotton top out of the waistband of her jeans and touching the heated skin of her stomach and back gently, but then more urgently.  

"Logan," she breathed in between hot kisses.

"What?" he grated out.

"Maybe we should go into your room," Val suggested not caring anymore what that meant; she was drunk on him.

"You think?"

"Yes," she cried desperately.

"What's the magic word?" he asked evil smile.

"Are you serious?" she asked frantically trying to absorb everything about him.

"Yeah," he ground out in between kisses.

Breathlessly, Val moaned softly against his mouth, "Please."

Grinning, Logan stepped back and pushed her through the door to his room, noting, "All you had to do was ask."


	7. Chapter 7

A Man After Her Own Heart - Chapter Seven

A/N:  Still rated R for language.  For anyone unsure, "macking" is a term usually used to describe making out (i.e.  "So, I was totally mackin' on this chick the other night, and, dude, it turns out she's, like, sixteen!"  Or something similar).  LOL!!  I hope that clears up any questions.  This will end with the next chapter.  Review if you feel like it.  They are appreciated.

~~

Val lay on her side with her knees bent and her arms drawn to her chest.  The cocoon of pillows and blankets was marvelous, but as she slowly awoke, Val became aware of a warm, solid presence behind her, pressed close to her back.  She groggily noticed that there was an arm flung across her waist and she immediately blushed.  Waking up together was a first and all of a sudden she felt shy.  As she carefully tried to disengage, she heard a low growl as his arm tightened its hold and pulled her back towards a hard chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" Logan rumbled sleepily.

Val sighed drowsily.  They hadn't gotten much rest the night before.  She'd never made it back to her own room last night and she worried that Annie might be upset.    

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked, still trying to wriggle out of his embrace.  

Logan's room was still shrouded in darkness, the first dim lights of dawn just beginning to peek in through the curtains.  "Early," he mumbled, holding her warm body close.

"Exactly," she said firmly, trying to disentangle herself.  The more she woke up the more she needed to get the hell out of there.  "I should get back to my room before anyone gets up."

"Or you could stay and not give a shit what anybody thinks," he suggested, sleep thick in his voice.  

"What are you talking about?" she asked impatiently as she finally used all her strength and pulled away from him, only to have him surprise her with his cat-like reflexes.  He had her pinned under him in seconds.  It only took her another half second to realize that they were both still very naked.

"Doesn't this feel right to you?" he asked, now fully awake, too.

"Feeling right and being right aren't always the same thing," she began.  She wasn't the queen of relationships but the few failed ones she could look back on made her cautious about getting involved in anything new.

"I'm not sure I follow that logic," Logan said with a chuckle and a chin scratch.

"All I'm saying is that complications are not going to make it easier when we part ways," she explained slowly, unable to meet his eyes.

Logan sighed.  "I guess you're right.  I'll be leaving here soon anyway."

Her head snapped up.  "You will?" she asked softly.

"Uh huh," he affirmed, straddling her legs with his own.  "Going back up to Canada, make sure that base of Magneto's is definitely gone."

"Oh.  Well, good," she said with what she hoped was a firm nod.  "I think that's a good idea.  I hope you have a safe trip."

"While we're both still here, though.." He trailed off and lowered his head to where her throat met her shoulder and dropped a kiss there.  He made a path with his mouth down to her collarbone and back up again before the kisses turned rough and he scraped his teeth across her smooth skin.

Lifting his head, Logan noted with satisfaction that Val's eyes were now closed, her mouth was hanging slightly ajar, and her breathing had sped up.

Drawing his lips into a satisfied grin, he waited for her to realize he'd stopped.  When she opened her eyes a few seconds later and saw his smug approval, her eyes darkened and she flung him across the room and into the wall opposite.

"Bastard," she snapped.

"I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain my mother would take offense to that comment," he remarked playfully as he stood up and made his way back to the bed.

She was already up and rummaging around for something to put on.  Finding the tee shirt he'd been wearing last night, she slipped it over her head and tugged at the hem, wishing it were a little longer.  It only just barely covered her tush.  It smelled of him, though, and she liked that.

The room was still mostly dark and Val was thankful for the shadows.  Logan dropped heavily onto the mattress and watched her look around for the jeans she'd been wearing the night before.  "It doesn't have to be this way, you know," he said conversationally as he enjoyed the view of her partially exposed bottom.

"What way?" she asked distractedly as she continued to search for her clothes.

"Whatever way this is."

She turned to look at him and caught him staring at her ass.  "Hey," she said, "my eyes are up here."

He grinned at her and crossed the bed on all fours until he was kneeling on it in front of her.  "I can't admire the goods?"

This elicited a small chuckle, and she softened a little.  "As long as you look with your eyes and not your hands, you can look at whatever you want.  Now help me find my clothes."

Logan sighed heavily and produced the jeans she'd been wearing last night.  

Val took them before asking, "And what about my underwear?"

"Lost," he said with a firm nod.

"Hand 'em over," she demanded.

"I swear I don't have them," he said with his hands raised palms facing her.

"I think you're lying," Val said with narrowed eyes.

"I think you should let it go," Logan said determinedly.

Rolling her eyes, Val pulled on the jeans sans underwear.  "I'm leaving before it gets any lighter."

"See ya 'round," he said with a small wave.

~~

Creeping back to her own room, Val cursed herself for not asking him for directions before she'd left.  Wait, that potted plant looked familiar.  And wasn't that.?  Yes, that picture on the wall is the same picture hanging opposite her door.  Happily, Val eased open the door and found Annie asleep with the bedside lamp still burning.

"Where've you been?" she asked, waking immediately.

"I'm sorry, honey," Val apologized.  "I lost track of time.  I ran into Logan and we ended up.talking for a few hours and then I guess I fell asleep," she said sheepishly.

"Uh huh," replied Annie, totally not buying the story.

"I did!" Val insisted.

"Okay," allowed Annie.  "If 'talking' is what you kids are calling it these days."

"Hey!" protested Val.

Annie sat up in bed and stared at Val.  "Are you forgetting that I can read your mind?  When you didn't come back last night I tracked you down with my telepathy."

Val sank onto the bed.  "I'm sorry.  I.I don't know what to say.  I didn't mean for it to happen, he just.."

"Please," said Annie with a wave of her hand.  "You don't have to explain.  He's _hot_."

Blushing, Val said, "Aren't you a little young to be noticing things like that?"

"Oh, come on.  I'm going to be fourteen in two months.  In my grade alone we had two girls get pregnant this year and in my entire school there were five single mothers."

"What happened to innocence?" asked Val desperately.

"Doesn't exist anymore," replied Annie with altogether too much cynicism.  

Shaking her head, Val acknowledged, "Okay, fine.  But I should have let you know where I was.  I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay.  I'm sitting in on classes today and then I'm meeting with the professor to talk about my powers.  So you'll have the whole day to.keep _talking_ to him if you want," Annie said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Ew!" Val gasped.  "Stop it!"

"Why?"

"Because it's weird.  You're way too young to be talking like that no matter how many teen moms you knew back on the farm."

Annie rolled her eyes and said, "Fine, but he _is_ hot."

Shaking her head, Val threw a pillow at Annie said, "I'm gonna shower.  This conversation better be over when I'm done."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:  own nothing but the story idea.

A/N:  This is it.  End of the line.  Thank God.  I'm hating this story.  Rated R for language.

~~

Val stretched out on her bed in silence and watched as shadows played on the walls of their room.  He was leaving.  And that was good, she told herself.  She certainly wasn't staying, no matter what Annie decided to do, so it was no skin off _her_nose.

Annie had left about an hour ago to attend classes and continue her exploration of the school.  Val could tell already that she would probably stay and that was good.  When she herself left, she didn't want to drag Annie with her.  The house in Montana was no longer available for use, not when Magneto had been there.  And she didn't even have a car anymore.  I need to come up with a plan.  When I leave here I can take the bus or a train, but where to?  She closed her eyes and let her mind drift.  

When she woke up hours later and rubbed her eyes she had an idea.  And she was hungry.  Rolling off her bed, she adjusted her clothing and glanced in the mirror.  Her hair was a disaster, but that was nothing new.  Pulling it back and winding it into her traditional low knot, she reassessed and said to her reflection, "Eh."  Even pulled back, her hair wouldn't just sit still.   There were loose ends coming out all over and she tried to smooth it down with her hands, but nothing worked.  "Fuck it," she finally decided and left the room in search of the kitchen.

She was still wearing her jeans and the borrowed tee shirt, but she'd added underwear.  She liked the tee shirt and was planning to keep it.  She'd probably never see her jacket again, she reasoned as she made her way down to the kitchen.  Her limbs were a little sore from the night before but her nap had definitely pepped her up.  In the kitchen, she found that she was famished. 

She poured herself a bowl of Fruit Loops, added three spoonfuls of sugar and then topped it off with a ridiculous amount of milk.

From behind she was startled by a voice.  "You don't add the sugar last?"

Spinning, she calmed at the sight of Logan and explained, "If you add the sugar first, it gets mixed in really good.  If you add it last, it just sits on top and you get the plain old loops underneath when you're done with the top."

"You've put a lot of thought into this," he mocked.

"Cereal is like science," she replied seriously.

Logan flinched.  Science made him think of Jean.  Now that's just stupid, he told himself.  It's like saying science gets you hot.  He almost chuckled out loud, but that would surely require an explanation.

Val sat on a stool at the island, crunching away at her cereal.

Logan sat opposite her and said, "So, I've been thinking."

She continued to crunch but met his eyes briefly to show him that she was listening.

"I'll be leaving by the end of the week."

"You said that already," Val replied, trying not to sound bitter…no trying not to _be_bitter.

"Have you thought about what you'll do if Annie decides to stay?" he ventured.

"A little.  I can't stay here.  I'll probably come back to visit from time to time, but this isn't my style, you know?"

"Mine, either," answered Logan with a nod.  "So why don't you come with me to Canada.  You know where that base it.  I was out cold when we left it.  I could use your help."

Val considered this before slowly nodding.  "Maybe." 

"Think about it," he said before getting up and leaving her alone in the kitchen.

By the time Val made it back to their room it was nearing four-thirty.  Annie was waiting for her with a thousand watt smile and an armful of books.  Val was very pleased to hear that she had decided to stay.

"Listen," she said slowly when Annie had stopped chattering away.  "I'm really glad you've made this decision.  I think it's a good one."  Val paused.

"You're leaving, aren't you?"  Annie guessed.

"This just isn't me," Val confessed.  "I need to be on my own.  But now that I know I can, I'll be back a lot to visit."

"Really?"  She pulled Annie into a hug and they held onto each other for a moment, before breaking apart.

"Really.  And you can always use your power to get in touch with me.  Now that we know you can get in my head, we'll have to see if there's anyplace that's 'out of range' like a cell phone," laughed Val.

Annie giggled and then said, "I heard Logan was leaving, too.  Rogue told me."

Val nodded.  "He told me he was, too.  He actually asked me to go with him."

Annie wiggled her eyebrows and said, "A bow chicka bow-wow!"

"Ha!  As if!" snorted Val.

"So are you going with him?"

"I think I might."

"Hot for teacher!" Annie crowed.

"He's not a teacher!" defended Val.

"He told mom and dad he was."

"Well, I'm not a student."

Annie giggled and opened her mouth but Val cut her off with, "Don't even think about saying something gross about the things he could teach me."

Annie collapsed into guffaws and fell off the bed.

"Graceful as ever," Val noted with a rueful shake of her head.

~~

By Friday, Val had said good-bye to everyone she'd met and Annie walked her down to the garage where Logan was waiting.

"Take care and come back soon," Annie demanded.

"I will and I will," promised Val.

"You ready?" asked Logan as he straddled a bike. 

"Isn't that Mr. Summer's motorcycle?" asked Annie, concerned.

"He said it was okay," assured Logan with a smile that said he was lying.

Val cinched her backpack on tight and took the helmet Logan offered her. 

"Are you sure we can take a car?  It's the middle of winter," she whined.

"I don't do cars," he said.

"Fine," she pouted.  Then, she pulled Annie into one last hug and got on the bike behind Logan. 

Annie backed away and watched as Logan started the bike.  Val wrapped her arms around Logan's torso and held on as they rolled out of the garage and then sped off.  She waved and said into Val's mind, _I'll miss you_.

_I'll miss you, too, honey, but we'll be back.  I promise._

End.


End file.
